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Planning Board decides on Cled’s

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The Halifax Planning Board was back in action on Thursday, Feb. 4. The previous two meetings became contentious at points with members of the Board disagreeing over whether Cled’s Tree Service was in compliance with their site plan. The discussion continued during the most recent meeting as well.

The previous meeting had to adjourn abruptly as Planning Board member Amy Troupe fell off the call during the discussion on Cled’s. Troupe cited technical difficulties as the reason. Board member Gordon Andrews has recused himself from all discussions involving Cled’s. Board member Mark Millias was not present for the previous discussions on Cled’s so Chair Alan Dias took a few moments to get him up to speed on the situation.

Dias said that there was no question that the plan that was approved previously was not a legitimate plan. He said that both the engineer and Cled’s Tree Service had substantiated the claim. According to Dias, the plan that was received from Bracken Engineering was marked up without Bracken’s knowledge and submitted to the Planning Board for approval.

Dias asked Troupe, who had previously defended Cled’s from noncompliance and fraudulent claims, if she still had concerns. Troupe said she believed it should have been obvious to anyone that the marked-up portion of the site plan was not done by an engineer. She said she didn’t believe it was presented that way. Dias said he wanted to move on from the discussion of the fraudulent claims and figure out a plan for getting Cled’s into compliance. He recommended giving Cled’s the same amount of time as outlined by the Fire Department to come into compliance. Cled’s is in violation of the fire code and was previously given until early March to bring things up to code.

Millias asked Dias if he was suggesting that the Planning Board ask Cled’s for an updated site plan or an existing conditions plan. Dias said he felt that doing so would be a waste of resources as Cled’s was proposing to put up a building.

Millias asked Dias to confirm that he felt that Cled’s was in violation of his site plan. Dias said that he was and Millias asked him to speak to the existing infractions. Dias cited the storage of logs, the storage of wood chips, and some equipment, namely a grinder. Millias responded that he didn’t believe those to be Planning Board issues. Millias instead made a motion to send a letter asking Cled’s to come into compliance within the same time frame as given by the Fire Department. Troupe said she didn’t feel it was necessary and noted it seemed like doubling up as the Fire Department had already done that. All other non-abstaining members voted in favoring of sending the letter giving Cled’s until March 10 to come into compliance.

The Board discussed a few other projects as well including a preliminary site plan review discussion for Liddell Brothers at 285 Holmes St. Dias asked Joshua Liddell about a cease and desist order that had been issued by the Building Department. Liddell, who was speaking on behalf of his uncle Gary Liddell, said that the heat was not working in the building so NorthStar Mechanical was hired to do a switch over. They didn’t have a permit so a cease and desist was issued. Liddell said they have obtained the necessary permit since.

Liddell said that they were only proposing a fence at the moment. Millias recommended that it be kept inset from the property by a few feet for maintenance.

Board member Rick Merry said he would be recusing himself from future discussions on the project moving forward as he lives nearby. He said that the project likely impacts him more than any other resident or abutter. Merry said that he suspects that the work, which he said has been ongoing for months, has included a lot more than just fixing the heat. He said the property now looks akin to a two-acre parking lot running down the street. “My house shook for about a week while they compacted it all,” Merry told the Board.

The Board also discussed Bud’s Goods and Provisions who have a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the town for a marijuana growing facility. Dias asked for a motion to request a $5,000 retainer to review the plan saying the estimate is around $4,700. Andrews said that they needed to reach out to more engineers to ascertain prices for reviewing. Millias said he didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask Bud’s to pay for things that are much further down the line in the overall process. It was decided, instead, to ask Bud’s for $2,500 initially and let them know that as the money was used up it would need to be replenished.

Dias also said that given the large scope of the project, he would like to ask for a site visit. The other members agreed.

The next Planning Board meeting will include a question and answer session with Attorney Kwesell to go over the process for site plans and special permits.

2020 – Did we think we’d get through it?

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Twenty-twenty began like any other year but would prove to be anything but ordinary.  A global pandemic rocked nearly all aspects of life and exacerbated an already contentious political climate. Racial tensions soared following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis in May. It was a year filled with protests and riots. Phrases like “social distancing” and “the new normal” became a regular part of the vernacular. Many adults and children worked and learned from home. Essential workers became heroes. More than 2.24 million people worldwide and over 400,000 Americans succumbed to COVID-19. It was a busy time globally and within local communities as well.

The year began with Ryan Lynch being named as the new Assistant Superintendent for Silver Lake. Lynch joined newly promoted Superintendent Jill Proulx. In a bit of fun news from the past year, Halifax resident Susan Hill appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy in February. Another bright spot in an oftentimes dreary year was Silver Lake Regional High School senior and now graduate Alexa Connors claiming two MIAA Div. 1 state titles as a member of the school’s swim team.

The towns of Plympton and Halifax grappled with where and when to safely hold their town meetings and town elections. In addition to concerns over COVID-19, towns also had to contend with the threat posed by mosquito-borne illnesses like Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Plympton utilized multiple rooms at the Dennett Elementary School to hold their town meeting on June 17 and moved forward with their town election on June 20 after ensuring multiple safety protocols were in place for both. Halifax scheduled and rescheduled their town meeting many times over before finally holding it at Halifax Elementary School over the course of September 12 and September 22.

Residents voted in record numbers both locally and nationally in several elections this past year including the presidential general election in November. Halifax voted in favor of Donald Trump by a slim margin of 49.4 percent to 48.5 percent. Plympton favored eventual winner and now President Joseph Biden by a margin of less than three percentage points. Locally, incumbent Kathy LaNatra overcame Halifax resident Summer Schmaling in a close contest for Representative in General Court for the 12th Plymouth District. Both Plympton and Halifax voted yes to the Right to Repair question while voting no on the question of ranked choice voting.

There were a number of changes to appointed positions in both towns in 2020 as well as the early days of 2021. Notable results from the elections held over the summer included Alan Dias besting Ashley DiSesa for a spot on the Halifax Planning Board and Highway Surveyor incumbent Steven Hayward besting challenger Michael J. Schlieff to maintain his position. Longtime Selectman Troy Garron won re-election to a three-year term. In Plympton, Mark Russo won re-election to the Board of Selectmen and would go on to be named Chair. Daniel Cadogen was also voted into a position on the Plympton Elementary School Committee.

Following resignations, Lukasz Kowalksi and Emily Davis were named as new members of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee from Plympton and Kingston respectively. Paula Hatch replaced Jason Fraser as the Chair of the Regional School Committee.  In November, Ashley DiSesa was named as the newest member of the Halifax Elementary School Committee. Also, in November, Colleen Thompson was named as the new Council on Aging Director for Plympton. Former Assistant Town Clerk Susan Lawless completed her first year as the Director of the Halifax Council on Aging after being appointed in December of 2019.

Following their abrupt closure in March, the schools grappled with how to continue to educate while maintaining the safety of both students and staff. Teachers and administrators scrambled to continue to provide necessary services including the need for free lunches for many eligible students. They worked throughout the summer to gather community input and assess all aspects of a possible reopening plan. Schools looked at how many students could fit on a bus and how many desks could fit into a classroom with proper distancing. Polices were put into place to limit the possible spread of the virus. Air quality tests were run and new equipment was purchased when necessary. All scenarios were weighed carefully, always with the safety and security of the staff and students in mind. In the end, all Silver Lake schools opened in a hybrid model sending students back in Cohorts who would divide their time between remote and in-person learning. In a piece of good news, despite numerous cases in students and staff at the schools, the evidence does not point to there being any in school spread.

Both Halifax and Plympton held peaceful protests over the summer in the name of racial injustice. Plympton organizer Amy Laura Cahn described the event as “a vigil for George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, Tony Mcdade, and all Black Americans slain by racial violence and injustice, including police brutality and the pandemic.” At the event on June 14 in Plympton residents took a knee for 8 minutes and 36 seconds in protest of George Floyd’s killing. Seventeen-year-old Jay Cline organized the event in Halifax on Saturday, June 6 that saw a few hundred people peacefully gather at the intersection of Routes 58 and 106.

Looking forward to the promise of a new year, there are signs of hope on the horizon. Vaccine development and rollout provides the first glimmer of an end to the pandemic that has poked holes in everything once seen as normal. Many healthcare workers and first responders have already been vaccinated in Plympton and Halifax. May 2021 bring healing to the physical, emotional, and financial struggles of the previous year.

Cled’s Tree sparks debate

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The Thursday, Jan. 21 virtual meeting of the Halifax Planning Board began with four members present but was adjourned two hours into it due to two of the four members leaving the Zoom call without notice.  At the onset of the meeting Chair Alan Dias was present as were Gordon R. Andrews, Rick Merry, and Amy Troupe. During a discussion on Cled’s Tree Service, Town Administrator Charlie Seelig interjected alerting Dias that both Andrews and Troupe had left the meeting and the Board no longer had quorum and would be unable to take any further action as a Board that night.

Cled’s Tree Service was being discussed due to non-compliance with the site plan. Andrews recused himself from the discussion. Cled’s Tree Service was previously discussed during the Planning Board’s January 7 meeting. A meeting that was largely contentious with several of the Board members engaging in heated debate about a number of topics including Cled’s. During that meeting, Dias said of Cled’s, “We need to kind of figure out where we’re going to go; we have a situation where we’ve got electricity there, we’ve got an office trailer that’s unpermitted, we have employees, we have no toilet facilities, and it just goes on and on so at this point we’re going to have to figure out how to bring it into compliance. I mean the other businesses in town comply with site plans and this particular site has no compliance that I see.”

Dias told the Board that there were emails certifying that the plans that had been submitted were “fraudulent.” Dias said, “I think, and I’m looking for some guidance from the Board, that based on the fact that we have plans that aren’t accurate that the action that this Board should take is that we should revoke the existing site plan which he’s not in compliance with… but I think we need to allow Mr. Cled the opportunity to bring the property into compliance.”

Troupe asked Dias for further clarification regarding the ways in which Cled’s was not in compliance. “We have emails that establish that the plans that were submitted were not prepared by the engineer that stamped them,” Dias said.

He also told the Board that there was an email from an engineer stating that he was not the one who did the plan. According to Dias, there is also email evidence that the plans had been altered. When pressed further, Dias said, “I really don’t want to get into much more detail… those are the facts that we have.”

Dias also said that he was unaware who marked up the plans and said that it was a legal issue and not one to be dealt with by the Planning Board. Regarding the plans, Dias said, “There is nothing at the site right now, the way it is on the ground, that represents those plans. Nothing.” Dias said that the Zoning Enforcement Officer could be sent out but suggested that it wasn’t necessary as they already knew Cled’s was not in compliance. “We just need to help him get the place in compliance,” he reiterated.

Cled’s had been asked to bring their lot into compliance with the fire code within 90 days of having been notified by the Fire Department. There was a fire on the lot and more than 5,000 yards of wood chips on the property. Those 90 days will expire at the end of February/beginning of March. Dias said that it was his understanding that Bracken Engineering would be drawing up new site plans for Cled’s.

Dias recommended to the Board that they ask Cled’s to be in compliance within the same timeframe given by the Fire Department. Merry agreed with Dias’ assessment and action plan. Troupe suggested letting the Fire Department handle the concerns.

The owner of Cled’s was in attendance during Thursday’s meeting where he insisted that they were making significant progress toward making their lot in compliance with the fire code. Dias said, “Our predicament is that you’re not in compliance with the site plan.”

Resident Chris Winiewicz, who lives on Circuit St., asked to speak complaining of a loud piece of equipment that proves disruptive to his family including his children who are learning remotely. According to Winiewicz there had been a previous agreement that stated that the piece of equipment would either be moved or a barricade would be put up around it. Winiewicz said that to date neither of those things had happened. It was during this discussion that Seelig notified Dias that the Board no longer had quorum and couldn’t discuss the matter as a Board nor could they vote on whether to revoke Cled’s existing site plan. The meeting was therefore adjourned at the two-hour mark.

Prior to the discussion on Cled’s and a few other ongoing projects, Town Counsel Larry Mayo opened the meeting by giving a general overview of General Law, Chapter 30A, Section 20 regarding the State’s open meeting law. He was asked to do so in response to some “disruptive behavior” that had occurred among the Board during their January 7 meeting.

“I’m just here to give you my interpretation of my outlook on how Chapter 30A may apply here,” Mayo began. He continued, “You have to take into consideration Section 20, subpar G in the context of the Chairman is the presiding officer at the meeting, at the Planning Board meeting, or at any other meeting of a public body in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He presides and regulates over the meeting, he decides all questions of order, and he makes declaration of all votes. Most importantly, I think in this particular context is that nobody should speak or address the meeting without first having leave of the moderator.”

Mayo went onto explain that after fair warning, a Chair may authorize a constable or other officer to remove the disruptive person from the meeting. He noted that in the context of a Zoom meeting, the Chair could ask the host to mute the disruptive member. During the January 7 meeting, a heated argument resulted in Dias requesting that Seelig mute Troupe. Mayo said, “The genesis of all of this or the purpose, again, is just to remember… the Chair is in control, you elected the Chair. The floor is his unless he recognizes another to speak and a civil discourse is what is intended to take place at the meetings.”

Andrews asked to make several inquiries regarding Mayo’s assertion. He first asked for confirmation that the Chair has the right to shut a member off during a meeting. Mayo said that the Chair could, in fact, do that assuming they, using sound judgment, found the member to be disruptive.

Andrews then asked for further clarification as to what constituted disruptive behavior. Andrews said, “We have civil rights to say our piece; that’s why we’re elected to the Board.” He continued, “Chairman doesn’t have the right to speak over anyone else either; once he recognizes someone, they have the right to speak their piece, their whole piece and he doesn’t have the right to shut them off.” Dias asked that members wait to be recognized before speaking, moving forward before proceeding with the rest of the evening’s meeting.

Plymouth County Mosquito Project recognized by State Department of Agriculture

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Working all year to prevent mosquito breeding and conducting research to find what works best, the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project is proud to announce their receipt from the Department of Agricultural Resources, a citation for Outstanding Performance for their response to the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus interventions of 2019 and 2020. The award is given annually and recognizes individuals or agencies that have made extraordinary contributions to public service.

Submitted by Cathleen Drinan, a Commissioner for the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project

Busy night for Halifax selectmen

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday, Jan. 26. While the Selectmen and Town Administrator Charlie Seelig were in-person, other attendees were virtual including Adam Cushman the senior patrol leader of Halifax Boy Scout Troop 39. Cushman led the Pledge of Allegiance during Tuesday’s meeting.

COVID Update

Seelig said that while the 14-day total for COVID cases was down a bit, the town continues to be in what he called “triple red.” Seelig mentioned that the state lifted some of the restrictions. While he noted that residents aged 75 plus could begin registering for appointments to receive the vaccine, he said that Halifax doesn’t have the necessary deep freeze capabilities for the Pfizer vaccine which he said was the vaccine being distributed in this round. He said the town zone clinic will need to wait until it is able to receive the Moderna vaccine. Council on Aging Director Susan Lawless is working with eligible residents to navigate the process and locate vaccination sites elsewhere in southeastern Massachusetts.

Correspondence

Seelig told the Board that they had received a letter from the South Shore Children’s Museum, who held a drive-in movie event at the Walmart in town in October. The letter thanked them for their assistance in putting on the event. They expressed sadness over having to close down and cancel many fundraising events in the past year and said they were looking forward to working with the town further in 2021. “We will be back as we reconfigure and make a plan for our future,” the letter read.

Monponsett Ponds Update

Seelig also gave an update on Monponsett Pond saying he had been in contact with Solitude Lake Management about various projects concerning the pond. Seelig said $135,000 has been set aside to be put toward that work but noted that it won’t cover everything the town may want to do. Possible work includes performing basic study work, revising the natural heritage habitat management plan, issuing notices of intent for weed control, performing a weed survey for invasive weeds for West Monponsett Pond, monitoring water quality and algae in May through October, and running a muscle monitoring program as part of the algae work. Seelig said that all of the aforementioned work was relatively low budget and estimated costs at $20,000 to $25,000.

Big ticket items include $100,000 for the application of aluminum sulfide in West Monponsett Pond and $70,000 for the application in East Monponsett Pond. Invasive weed control for East Monponsett Pond especially would cost $90,000.

Of the more expensive projects, Seelig said it was recommended to him to move forward with the invasive weed control prior to town meeting in May as that was the project that would most benefit from an earlier start. “Doing that and doing most of the other study work would spend about $116,000 and we would still need $170,000 of which $59,000 we’d have available to us,” Seelig said. Seelig recommended moving forward with the weed eradication program and study work prior to town meeting and then seeking the additional funds for the other work at town meeting on May 10.

Fuel Storage Hearing

The Board had a hearing with Anthony Curtin. “We’re just following up with our first conversation making sure that the steps are clearly delineated, I think what you’re looking for… is some indication from the Board… that if you were able to obtain your special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and had a favorable decision of the Planning Board if the Board of Selectmen would be inclined to support granting of the permit for the fuel storage facility,” Selectmen Chair Tom Millias said. Seelig added that approval would have to be given by the Fire Chief and the Fire Marshall. Two letters of support had been sent in by abutters for Curtin’s proposal. Millias said that as long as there wasn’t strong opposition on behalf of the abutters and Curtin meets all necessary requirements, the Board would be fine with moving forward.

Vacant Positions

Seelig said there were multiple openings on the Finance Committee. Melinda Tarsi recently gave her resignation which will be effective February 15. There is also a spot available for a citizen on the Capital Planning Committee. Silver Lake Regional School Committee Chair Paula Hatch attended Tuesday’s meeting virtually to discuss the opening on the committee left by the resignation of Edward Desharnais. “He had served well over a decade and was a valued participant,” Hatch said of Desharnais.

Hatch spoke to the difficult year it has been for the school committees saying that the regional committee has very new members from Kingston and Plympton due to other earlier resignations. “I’m looking forward to Halifax determining another person that can come join us and take a place on Silver Lake,” Hatch told the Selectmen. Millias said the town would reach out and see if they could find willing volunteers for the position.

Seelig recommended reaching out to the residents who had earlier applied to fill the vacancy on the Halifax Elementary School Committee. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked that the talent bank be open for two weeks prior to interviews being held.

Complete Streets Presentation

The final appointment of the night was a Complete Streets presentation by Courtney Beckwith of Green Seal Environmental. Beckwith said she had been working with Seelig and Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward on the Complete Streets Program which is a grant through Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT). “Specifically, they’re meant to prioritize streets that are made for bikers, walkers, and not necessarily just focused on cars so a lot of these projects consist of adding sidewalks, extending sidewalk networks, adding bike paths, and road diets and speed bumps to reduce speeds,” Beckwith explained. Halifax is currently at Tier Two of the program which consists of developing a prioritization plan for the town consisting of a list of projects that the town is interested in pursuing.

Mass DOT has approved a grant for $38,000 to help the town conduct the necessary studies including gap analysis studies for existing sidewalk networks. Also included in the research is an analysis of historical data involving crashes at various streets and intersections. Beckwith cited community input as being another part of the data collected during Tier Two. “We are asking residents of the town, the Planning Board, and the Board of Selectmen their ideas for projects to focus on,” Beckwith said. She spoke about a google maps type website they have developed called wikimapping.com which provides a map of the town of Halifax. Residents can login and answer questions regarding where they see problems and where they would like to see improvements. People can also build upon comments left by other residents. The website will be open for the entire month of February.

Beckwith said the state would offer a maximum of $400,000 in construction costs which could be dedicated to a single project or spread across several different ones. Engineering work would need to be done prior to the allocation of the construction money. “I’ve seen in the past that towns that spend the money on the engineering and have the plans ready to go are more likely to get the funding but I do need to say that that is not guaranteed,” Beckwith said. “I know that Mass DOT specifically does not like giving grant money for the design and engineering portion; they like paying for the planning and construction,” she further explained.

Andrews asked that if they had their submissions in for Tier Two by the April 1 deadline if the town could receive up to $400,000 for this fiscal year’s program. Beckwith confirmed.

A plan would need to be in place as well as a construction schedule by June 30, 2021 in order for the funds to be allocated to a particular project.

Habitat for Humanity proposal

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Executive Director Jim Middleton and Development Director Amy Belmore of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth attended the virtual meeting of the Plympton Board of Selectmen on Monday, Jan. 25. Middleton provided some background into the locally based volunteer organization which is headquartered in Carver. With only five paid employees, the organization relies on the 200 to 300 volunteers who assist in all phases of work being done. Initially founded by ministers from Plympton, they serve Plymouth, Kingston, Middleborough, Lakeville, and the towns in between. Work includes building and fixing up existing houses as well as running the ReStore on Route 58 in Carver. Proceeds from the thrift shop assist with the work being done by Habitat.

Middleton explained that where a typical home in a local community might cost upwards of $350,000 to $450,000, a home built by Habitat for Humanity can be sold well below market value for say $170,000. Middleton also pointed out that oftentimes rentals of similar size can cost approximately $2,000 per month. “A lot of people who live in a town like Plympton they can’t afford to stay there,” Middleton said. He explained that a number of factors go into keeping their costs low. “We’re able to do that by having volunteers and community minded people who help us with the trades, like electric, and also with materials.”

Middleton said that the organization is always looking for land to build on as they can’t afford to pay market rates. Whenever possible Habitat tries to purchase land in partnership with towns. This is done by looking at the Assessor’s list to see if there are properties that are under utilized that the town may be able to make available. Of the 12 houses built by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth only one was through donation of land alone. “All of our houses go through DHCD [The Department of Housing and Community Development] at the state to get certified and to make sure that there is a deed writer on it and that there is a regulatory agreement… to keep that house as an affordable home in perpetuity,” Middleton explained. He said when no waivers are required for a plot of land the process is simplified and likened it to a joint application with the town and Habitat to the state. If waivers are required the town can, through a hearing, apply to build on a plot of land that might not otherwise be buildable.

Middleton also explained the process for selecting eligible families. He said there tends to be a misconception that it is a giveaway program but said it is “a hand up not a handout.” The state has a lottery which is income qualified. Habitat considers those whose incomes fall within 30 to 60 percent of the area’s median income. Middleton said, “The state likes a lottery but Habitat likes to look at the current living situation of a family and factor that in… it’s a blind process where our Family Selection Committee of volunteers go and visit each of the income qualified families and they look at overcrowding, sub-standard health and safety conditions, whether the people are paying way too much money out of their monthly incomes to be in that house.” From there, three families are usually presented to Habitat’s Board of Directors who select a family without being given names or other identifying information. Middleton and Belmore confirmed that towns can give a higher priority to those that live or work within their town though other factors will also be considered.

Even with the below market value on the homes, families that are selected still pay a mortgage. Mortgages are 0 interest over thirty years. “A young family trying to start out can get a house that costs them less than $1,000 a month all in for their mortgage, their taxes, and their home insurance,” Middleton told the Selectmen. Selectman Mark Russo asked if there was continued control of the home once sold or if the control was relinquished to the new homeowners. “They become the owners but there is a deed restriction that is quite detailed that says if they want to resell, they can’t sell at market rate,” Middleton explained. The owners would be able to recoup their money plus a bit for inflation.

Selectman John Traynor asked if there was an age requirement as it seemed the homes being discussed were geared toward younger families. Middleton said that because the homes that are built tend to be three-bedroom homes, usually capes, they tend to be filled with families as it is a requirement that all bedrooms be filled. Russo asked if they had explored the possibility of building duplexes or townhouses. Middleton said, “We haven’t done that but we’re wide open to doing that.” Belmore pointed out the affordability issue for older members of the community including retirees. She said that finding affordable housing for seniors could be a good reason for the organization to explore building duplexes and townhouses.

Traynor also inquired as to whether there was a set design that had to be abided by for the types of homes built. Typically, the homes that have been built are three-bedroom capes though one of the most recently built homes was a ranch style to accommodate the needs of the new homeowners. “We try to pay a lot of attention to making sure our houses don’t stand out as something different,” Middleton explained.

The selectmen were excited to have a potential solution to the town’s affordable housing issue. Selectman Christine Joy said, “We need to identify some parcels and hopefully get moving with the process.” Traynor agreed saying, “It’s something that we should be doing, it just needs to fit into the culture of the town.” “We are kind of a town of very modest means but we’re a town where people are willing to consider donations… this could be a real focal point for a community effort that we all could be proud of,” Russo said.

Joy also asked if Middleton and Belmore could speak to the Brush with Kindness Program. Middleton said that they have a very active program that takes on five or six projects a year that help people age in place in their homes. It is not limited by age, however, and often those with disabilities are also aided in getting things done around their home. Projects have included wheelchair ramps, roof projects, weatherization, and installation of windows and doors. Belmore said that while the labor is free, homeowners are asked to assist with the purchasing of materials to the extent that they are able.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy provided an update on various affairs in town. Dennehy told the Selectmen that there had been some paid leave for employees under federal coronavirus legislation that had been passed early in the pandemic. To date, Congress has not extended that provision which leaves towns to come up with their own. Dennehy said that should the state or federal government decide to pass further legislation it would prevail over local policy. She said, “I’m hoping we won’t have to use it a lot and that we are on a path to wellness.”

Dennehy also said that for the time being the townhouse and transfer station will remain functioning as they have been for some weeks now. Dennehy said she hasn’t received any complaints about residents being unable to get needed services. She said the town will reevaluate the status of various town departments in a few weeks.

Dennehy told the selectmen that the Board of Health and Fire Department have been inundated with questions regarding vaccine rollout. “We intend to keep people informed as far as the minute we find anything out, we’re happy and ready and willing and able to get that information out to the public. Currently speaking we’re not in a position to be administering vaccines or anything like that but we’re working on a program right now with some other towns… so as soon as we can get people vaccinated whether we have that capability or whether we partner with another town in the area we’ll definitely keep the public informed on that,” Dennehy explained.

COVID numbers continue to be updated weekly on both the town website and the town Facebook page. Dennehy said she had received a request for data regarding age group and other specifics about positive cases in town but said she doesn’t have the manpower to do that level of tracking.

The Selectmen closed with their rants and raves. Joy said her rave was for Habitat for Humanity and both Russo and Traynor concurred. Russo shared a rant saying, “we had a little mischief at Churchill Park last week. Some graffiti, some trash left behind. Kind of frustrating that that has happened but within an hour of the Open Space Committee and the Board of Selectmen learning of that we ensured that there was a police investigation and got in the process of cleaning it up and have started closing the gate at dusk to deal with those issues.” Russo spoke about how the project was a community effort that took years of hard work and dedication to come to fruition. He referred to the area as “sacred ground” and said of the poor behavior, “that is not the place for that to happen.”

More in-person school is nixed

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Much of the Plympton Elementary School Committee meeting on Monday, Jan. 25, was spent discussing the viability of adding more in-person learning time to the current hybrid model at the Dennett Elementary School. The meeting which was held virtually had nearly 50 participants with many staff and parents in attendance. The larger than usual attendance was due to the recent discussions at the middle school and high school level regarding the potential for in-person learning on Wednesdays.

Currently, Wednesdays are a remote day across the district for all but some of the highest needs learners in Cohort D. Teachers and staff have used Wednesday mornings for planning as well as professional development.

The plan proposed during the most recent Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting would have students in Cohorts A and B attending school in-person on alternating Wednesdays. While most on the regional committee were in favor of the plan and asked the administration to work on the logistics, there were some members who voiced concern for the complications such a plan might pose for both families and staff. Scheduling and childcare could become complicated for families with students spread out across the district, particularly if the elementary schools chose not to adopt the same plan as the middle and high schools. Additionally, teachers will be losing valuable planning time.

With regard to greater in-person learning time, Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen said, “As a school committee and as an administration this is something that we are thinking about all the time.” He acknowledged that the current learning models necessitated by the pandemic are not ideal particularly for the youngest learners. “Unfortunately, some of our largest grades are our youngest grades which poses an additional stress,” Wilhelmsen explained.

While there have only been a small handful of positive COVID cases at the Dennett and no evidence of in-school transmission, Wilhelmsen explained that the greater issue has been with close contacts needing to quarantine. He said that he would be concerned that were the school to reduce the physical distancing requirement from six to three feet the number of close contacts needing to quarantine would increase causing even greater disruption. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends six feet of distancing while the state requires just three. Wilhelmsen said the Committee is steadfast in maintaining the full six feet of distancing.

President of the Teacher’s Association and fourth grade teacher Ann Walker spoke to the ways in which the staff is currently utilizing the remote Wednesdays. “These Wednesdays have been crucial for the success we have had over this time. We have taken this time and planned for every scenario possible… we have to make sure everything we do is both digitized and ready for students to work on in-person,” Walker explained. She also said that work has to be planned several weeks in advance and noted that teachers have even had to deliver materials to families that couldn’t make it to the school. Walker said the time has also proved valuable for learning the necessary technology to succeed in the hybrid model.

Dennett Elementary Principal Peter Veneto also spoke to the difficulties of bringing more students into the building more often for in-person learning. “The biggest obstacle that I foresee is lunch,” Veneto said. While the state allows for three feet of distancing, six feet is required while eating lunch thus reducing the seating capacity. The staff at the Dennett was also described as lean and cited as another potential obstacle to more in-person learning. Veneto also noted that bringing students into the building on alternating Wednesdays would likely only add an additional 9 days of in-person learning time to the school year.

Parent Danielle D’Angelo, who was quick to express gratitude to the teachers, administration, and staff, asked if the Committee and others had considered an out of the box approach to the lunch dilemma suggesting that other spaces such as the gym could perhaps be utilized. Veneto assured D’Angelo and other parents on the call that the space within the Dennett has been utilized in the best ways possible to ensure maximum capacity while still maintaining distancing. “I do think we’ve looked at this creatively and from a lot of different angles and have sought opinions from a lot of different people,” Veneto said.

D’Angelo also asked about the possibility of parent volunteers to help off set any staff shortages. While Veneto said that he was open to any suggestions, he noted that the school has had to cut down significantly on parent volunteering this year in an effort to reduce the number of people in the building and in turn help mitigate any potential spread or exposure.

D’Angelo stressed that many parents have growing concern over their children’s emotional and social wellbeing saying, “most of us feel okay in sending our children in at three feet with a mask.” Another parent spoke up saying she had heard that Sacred Heart Elementary School had reduced their distancing requirement from the CDC recommended six feet without many more positive cases than Dennett and without evidence of school spread. “I don’t think this Committee is interested in going below the six feet,” Wilhelmsen reiterated.

Wilhelmsen pointed out that as of the time of the meeting, Plympton had moved into the red risk designation. Communities with populations under 10,000, like Plympton, must have more than 25 cases in order to be considered red, or high risk. “There’s a lot that’s changing rapidly,” Wilhelmsen said referring to the new federal administration as well as the vaccine rollout. “Where we sit at the moment, I don’t see what we can do in the next two weeks,” he said.  “Our goal has always been to provide as much in-person learning as we can,” he assured those present. Wilhelmsen also said that he was hopeful that the eventual vaccination of teachers and staff in Phase Two would provide the school with greater flexibility.

Parent Angela Wilbur asked about the hurdle posed by limited capacities on buses. She said that she had noticed that the pickup and drop off line was significantly greater than in years’ past indicating that more and more parents had opted to drive their children to school rather than have them take the bus. Wilbur suggested to the committee that perhaps the bussing issue is less of a barrier than previously thought. Veneto noted the way in which Plympton families had stepped up to the plate to provide transportation for their children but said that he was still required to “make sure we have enough room for every child every single day.” It was also asked if it would be possible to provide a waiver for the busing requirement. Committee Vice Chair Jason Fraser said that that option had been explored as far back as last April but it was determined that it couldn’t be done without a change to Massachusetts’ general laws.

Some of the parents on the call expressed what they felt to be a lack of communication on the part of the school committee and administration regarding what kinds of plans were being explored to further in-person learning opportunities where and when feasible. Both Wilhelmsen and Fraser apologized if there was a perceived lack of communication. They noted that school committee meetings are held on a regular monthly basis in addition to meetings of the Health and Safety Advisory Committee. Parent Michelle Ruxton, who serves on the aforementioned committee, stressed to her fellow parents the level of thought and concern that goes into how decisions will affect not just the schools but the home lives of Dennett families as well. Wilhelmsen also offered to host more informal Zoom sessions that could be posted to the Friends of the Dennett Facebook page.

Playground Update

Director of Business Services Christine Healy provided an update on the new playground to be built at the Dennett. Healy said they are working with firm Beals + Thomas to oversee the construction of the playground. After coming out for an initial site visit, the firm came back on January 19 to do a topographical survey. Once the results of the survey are in, the project will begin moving forward. Fraser said that he was appreciative of funds being allocated to hire them to ensure that the playground is accessible, safe, and long-lasting.

Legislative Report

Fraser provided the legislative report saying that the pandemic had highlighted the need to reevaluate critical issues at the state level such as school start times and achievement gaps caused by summer vacations. Fraser said that research has shown that elementary age students should be beginning their days earlier and ending their days sooner whereas secondary students would be better off with later start times. Additionally, gaps in education caused by the pandemic have highlighted the need for summer school reform. Fraser said there is a push for summer school coursework to include social and emotional learning as well as enrichment opportunities in addition to the traditional academic courses. He also pointed to Australia where students attend school the full year. In lieu of summer vacations, students attend school the same number of days a year but have more frequent, shorter breaks with the shortest being just four weeks long. This prevents the regression that occurs over the summer. That lack of regression each year amounts to 2 to 2 and a half years’ worth of additional learning time for Australian students.

Fraser also told the Committee that the Governor would be coming out with the first version of the state budget this week. He said that sources told him the budget was not in as bad of shape as previously feared. Fraser said that he was also being told that schools would be held harmless for enrollment decline this year due to the circumstances posed by the pandemic.

Superintendent Jill Proulx spoke to that decline during her update saying that redshirting of kindergarten students this school year was not unique to Plympton as it was occurring throughout the state. Proulx also said that the number of students in Plympton being homeschooled this year had increased.

Principal’s Report

Principal Veneto gave a brief update on the state of affairs at the school. Math interventionist Maria Barlow replaced retiring fourth grade teacher Bea Reynolds. Recent Bridgewater State University graduate Paige Sylvia has been hired as the new math interventionist. He also said that they are in the process of hiring a new building-based substitute.

C.A.S.A. Update

Committee member Amy Hempel said that the Community and School Association (C.A.S.A.) will be moving forward with selling raffle tickets for gift baskets. The baskets will be available at the Mayflower Mercantile shop in Plympton toward the end of February. C.A.S.A. Chair Sarah Prario said tickets will be available for purchase through Facebook, Venmo, and email.

Plympton now in RED zone

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Plympton’s Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Stephen G. Silva told The Express on  Tuesday that Plympton’s increase to “Red” as of last Thursday was expected.  “We have been hovering in a yellow status for some time.”   The color status is based on a percentage of positive cases weighted against total persons tested, and then compared to the total community population.  This analysis is performed at the state level, Silva explained.

“When certain criteria are reached, the zone color changes.  Because we have such a small population compared to other communities, a small shift can change the equation and move us into a different category.  We have been the only community for months that remained in a lesser group for the entire area.  When you look at the state maps we are “surrounded” by red.

Last Thursday Plympton’s positive COVID-19 case count was 28, with another four additional cases as of Tuesday, according to Chief Silva.

“There is no smoking gun or hot spot that we have been able to identify at this time,” Silva said.  “I expected a rise due to increased testing as a result of better awareness and of course the return from holiday travel.  It is interesting that many people are testing as a safety measure only to find they are positive.  Many are fully asymptomatic or have had very mild symptoms; that is not to say others are not becoming very ill,” Silva said. “The change since spring is the more asymptomatic cases especially in the younger population.  This change in my opinion may breed a false sense of security.

“We are monitoring this very closely.  I optimistically hope the next set of numbers will show either a plateau or decline.”

Halifax investigates possible COVID-19 vaccination center

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The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Thursday, Jan. 21, for one of the weekly meetings they have been holding since the onset of the pandemic. Board of Health agent Bob Valery told the selectmen that every Thursday he receives a two-week run rate of tests from the Department of Public Health (DPH). The most recent numbers indicate that 848 tests were performed with a total of 69 of those coming back positive. “So that would put us at a two-week run rate of 8.13,” Valery explained. “We are running a lower rate, a slightly lower rate than every town that surrounds us,” he continued.

Valery also said that effective Jan. 25 the stay-at-home advisory for the hours of 10 p.m. through 5 a.m. was rescinded. The limited capacity of 25 percent and gathering limits remain in place until Monday, Feb. 8.

Valery said he was working in conjunction with Fire Chief Jason Viveiros on the logistics of having an in-town vaccination site. He said that should they move forward, vaccinations will likely be by appointment. They are working through their eight-page checklist for hosting a vaccination site. Viveiros said that Our Lady of the Lake Church had offered their hall as a possible site for a vaccination clinic. “It will be a decent space for us, we will have a good flow path for people,” Viveiros said. He said he spoke with Police Chief Joao Chaves about having a police presence for traffic control purposes.

Viveiros said that in speaking with Town Administrator Charlie Seelig, it appears that there would be roughly 500 people in the 75 plus age group. Also, in Phase 2 will be those with co-morbidities, 65 plus, and schoolteachers. Valery pointed out the priority rankings within each of the phases. Viveiros said they were hopeful they would have enough to vaccinate at least those that are 75 plus as well as the teachers. Selectman Gordon Andrews, who also serves as Chair of the Halifax School Committee and as a member of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, asked about the possibility of coordinating the vaccinations of teachers with Kingston, Plympton, and Silver Lake.

Selectmen Chair Tom Millias asked about acquiring the vaccine doses to be administered. Viveiros said that to date they were only given the doses that were administered to the first responders, noting that all first responders in town had been vaccinated. “As far as availability… we really don’t know what’s going to be available to us. The only thing we’ve been guaranteed is we’ll get the second doses for everyone that’s already been vaccinated,” Viveiros said.

Millias asked Andrews about a cluster of cases that had occurred within the school district. “We had a cluster of sports teams,” Andrews explained. “There were eight positive cases, I believe, and they shut down contact sports meaning ice hockey and basketball for two weeks,” he continued.

Seelig said that he and Valery had reviewed the COVID protocols for town employees with the aim of simplifying the process for those that have been sick or have been exposed with the goal to err on the side of caution. Seelig said that there weren’t any plans to roll out any further large-scale testing programs in town as the focus has now shifted to vaccine administration. He said the plan would be to work with the Council on Aging (COA) on sign ups for the vaccine as well as possibly transportation. “These folks are our most vulnerable individuals, the elderly especially, we want to make sure that they have an opportunity to participate,” Seelig said.

Millias asked if the antigen test was the most commonly run. Chief Chaves said it was. “Now if you were to get a negative result, that’s not necessarily 100 percent accurate,” Millias asked. Chief Viveiros said, “They’re roughly 85 percent accurate. If we test someone and we get a positive result, then it’s just considered positive. If someone’s symptomatic and they have a negative test they still need to get the PCR test,” Viveiros said.

At this point in the meeting, the Selectmen and Seelig turned their attention to non-COVID related issues in town. Seelig provided an update on an ongoing transaction between the town and the state.

Back in July of 2019 DFG land agent from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Joan Pierce came to speak to the Board about the possibility of acquiring an area of Peterson’s Swamp from the town. At the time both Millias and selectman Troy Garron expressed frustration with always coming up with the short end of the stick when dealing with Fisheries and Wildlife. Selectman Gordon Andrews suggested that in addition to the sale of the parcel, Fisheries and Wildlife transfer a sliver of land behind Aldana Road that they own to Halifax. That land would be necessary to possess in order to be able to pave the road eventually. All parties agreed to the transaction.

Seelig said during Thursday’s meeting that the state legislature had passed the necessary legislation to transfer the land from the Commonwealth to the town. Seelig asked the Board to take an official vote to approve the sale of the parcels of land to the Commonwealth. Once done, it will go to Pierce and the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM). “Troy and I have been through this thing for about twenty years so I would love to get this off our plate,” Millias said.

Chief Chaves said that several weeks ago the Board approved Michael Boncariewski as an intermittent police officer. He said he was hoping the Board would now approve a conditional offer of employment so that he might replace an outgoing officer who left the department for Weymouth. Chaves said a full background check had been performed on Boncariewski and noted that nothing had changed since their previous approval. The Board voted to approve and Boncariewski will begin the Academy in Plymouth on March 1.

Seelig asked the Board if they were interested in creating an article to eliminate the exclusion zone for marijuana establishments as he was fielding multiple inquiries about the issue.

Millias said he would be more comfortable to have the Zoning Bylaw Review Committee or Planning Board handle it. Seelig also pointed out that applicants unhappy with the zone could get the necessary voter signatures to create a petition article themselves. Andrews agreed with the petition article idea saying, “I would request that if they want to make a petition article, to do the petition article and they can be the champion of the article and say what the value is to the town.”

Seelig also mentioned that there was a vacancy for a Halifax member on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. The appointment will be a combined vote of the selectmen and the members of the regional school committee.

Curry College Fall 2020 Dean’s List

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MILTON– Curry College congratulates roughly 1,000 students who were named to the Fall 2020 Dean’s List. To earn a place on the list, full-time undergraduate students – those who carry 12 or more graded credits per semester – must earn a 3.3 grade-point-average (GPA) or higher.

From Halifax:  Kayla Knudsen, Melanie Stoltz, and Makenzie Hughes.

From Kingston: Rachele Bouchard, Sarah Busby, Hannah Gillis, Trevor King, and

Valerie Willette.

From Plympton: Zachary McCarthy and Mark Martin.

Founded in 1879, Curry College is a private, four-year, liberal arts-based institution located on 131 acres in Milton, Mass. Curry extends its educational programs to a continuing education branch campus in Plymouth, Mass. Curry offers 28 undergraduate majors, as well as graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, criminal justice, and nursing, with a combined enrollment of over 3,700 students. The student body consists of approximately 2,000 traditional undergraduate students, and 1,700 continuing education and graduate students. Approximately 1,575 of its students reside on the Curry campus. The largest majors are business management, communication, nursing, criminal justice, and education, and the college is also internationally known for its Program for the Advancement of Learning (PAL). The College offers a wide array of extra-curricular activities ranging from 15 NCAA Division III athletic teams to an outstanding theatre program. Visit us on the web at www.curry.edu.